A.Word.A.Day

A.Word.A.Day--missish

missish (MIS-ish) adjective

Prudish.

[From miss + -ish.]

"Every line is end-stopped, and we are aware of the clunk of the rhyme,
nowhere more than in 'troublesome' rhymed with 'come' and describing
with missish understatement the behaviour of two of the strongest forces
in the world, 'the winds and seas'."
Germaine Greer; Blame it on Housman; The Guardian (London, UK);
Mar 1, 2003.

"'Well, I am a widow, and no one questions my sense of propriety.' The
duchess cocked her head, her black eyes flashing, looking for all the
world like an inquisitive bird. 'I cannot believe you are so put off by
wagging tongues. Gracious, I have never known you to be so missish!'"
Elizabeth Powell; A Reckless Bargain; Signet; 2002.